Grahe, Rodgers See Pluses in Angels’ 8-2 Loss to Brewers

MILWAUKEE —  He retired the first two batters he faced, which seemed little cause for celebration. Still, that was two more batters than Joe Grahe retired in his first start this season, June 18 here at County Stadium, and the Angel right-hander considered it a good omen.

“I told Gary Gaetti, ‘Hey, I actually got somebody out on this field. I actually got two people out,’ ” Grahe said with a rueful smile.

Grahe had to settle for milestones instead of a victory over the Brewers Saturday night. Despite a good performance, Grahe was unable to escape the web of defeats entrapping the fifth spot in the pitching rotation. He gave up three runs over six innings in an outing Manager Buck Rodgers called a “plus start,” but was the loser in the Angels’ 8-2 defeat.

“Under ordinary conditions, if we score a few runs, I thought he pitched winning-type games,” Rodgers said after his second look at Grahe (1-7). “We haven’t been able to put too many base hits together. They get a couple of big innings on us and put up some crooked numbers and that was it.”

Grahe, who earned his only victory this season in relief, yielded to the usually reliable Mark Eichhorn in the seventh with the score tied, 2-2, and Bill Spiers on first after a single.

“He had a tough bases-loaded situation in the fifth inning and he gave me everything he had to get out of that,” Rodgers said. “I made up my mind if the first man got on, there’d be trouble in River City, so I went to Ike and it just didn’t pan out.”

Eichhorn walked leadoff hitter Paul Molitor, and after a sacrifice by Willie Randolph, gave up a two-run double to Darryl Hamilton past a diving Luis Polonia. Robin Yount drove in Hamilton with a double through the left side, and Milwaukee added three in the eighth off Scott Bailes and Chris Beasley to drop Rodgers’ managerial record to 2-3. The Angels were 11-18 in August, their worst month this season.

“Joe battled after the first inning and threw the ball great. I just wish I could have picked him up in the seventh,” Eichhorn said. “He’s throwing the ball a lot better than his record indicates.”

Grahe’s numbers are improving, although the cumulative numbers of the Angels’ fifth starters remain ugly. Grahe is 0-7 in seven starts with a 6.94 earned-run average, contributing to the collective 1-16 record and 7.46 ERA. However, he has given up only six earned runs over 18 2/3 innings in his last three starts, a 2.89 ERA. That should be good enough for a victory or two, but not when the Angels score three runs in his last three starts.

“Maybe someday,” he said of the prospect of winning as starter. “It’s just the way it goes. I just go out and do my thing and things will work out. I don’t know what else to say.”

When he got B.J. Surhoff to ground into an inning-ending double play in the fifth, he told himself a victory was at hand. Although he had given up two runs in the first, on a two-out single to Hamilton and doubles by Yount and Surhoff, he kept the Angels in contention through the middle innings and kept Milwaukee’s lead at 2-0 despite that fifth-inning threat.

“Surhoff had hit two grounders up the middle before, but this time it was more toward (shortstop Dick Schofield) and he was able to turn it,” Grahe said. “At that point I said, ‘I’m meant to win tonight. I’m going to break this streak.’ I guess it wasn’t meant to be.”

The Angels pulled even in the sixth, scoring once off starter Chris Bosio before a strained left hamstring drove him out of the game. Luis Polonia’s leadoff triple and Junior Felix’s single up the middle produced one run, and a single by Wally Joyner and a grounder by Dave Parker against Mark Lee (1-3) tied it.

“Joe pitched good,” said Felix, who is seven for 21 since being activated off the disabled list. “But in a game like this, one has to win and one has to lose.”

Rodgers will probably start juggling his lineup in an attempt to stir the offense, but said he plans to leave the top of the order--Polonia, Felix, Joyner and Dave Winfield--intact. “I want to see what the first four situation is going to produce,” he said, “then we’ll go from there and make some adjustments.”

There’s nowhere for Grahe to go but up. “I’ve definitely learned how to pitch with guys on base,” he said. “I just have to keep battling. That’s all I can do.”